false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167402117m/23404.jpg 23404 3 How could a simple request for a new water fountain go so very, very off-track? When Principal Wally Russ writes to fountain designer Florence Waters to ask her to replace Dry Creek Middle School's busted drinking fountain, he little suspects that he is sparking the imagination of an <I>artiste</I>. Kate Klise's charming mystery novel is told entirely in letters and faxes, as the glamorous Florence visits Dry Creek and becomes friends with Mr. Sam N.'s fifth-grade class. The class helps Florence design the most outrageous water fountain ever, and along the way uncovers the dirty (and rather wet) secret that dwells underneath Dry Creek Middle School. Writes Florence to her new fifth-grade friends, "Your drawings are hanging in my studio. Pure inspiration. Of course a drinking fountain should have tropical fish and chocolate shakes!" The book reads like an inspired combination of the epistolary novels <I>Daddy-Long-Legs</I> and <I>Griffin & Sabine</I>. Line drawings by M. Sarah Klise adorn every page, with "snapshots" of the fifth-grade class, pages from the local paper, and coffee-stained While You Were Out notices thickening the stew. The emphasis on visual elements should make the book a hit with kids who claim they don't like to read. Author Klise knows her audience: bad puns flow as freely as water and the plot is just convoluted enough to challenge kids without frustrating them. The Klise sisters have created a classic of comic children's literature. (Ages 8 and older) <I>--Claire Dederer</I> 24375 1998 Regarding the Fountain (Regarding the...) total:354|5:169|4:130|3:46|2:4|1:5| 354 1516 412 80 5 2 false false Tue Jan 06 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Dec 19 09:19:28 -0800 2008 Tue Jan 06 12:01:56 -0800 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat Aug 08 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 09 06:10:56 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 09 06:33:25 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Feb 26 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 26 08:46:14 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 26 08:50:18 -0800 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Jan 31 08:25:40 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 31 08:41:40 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jun 07 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 29 12:12:57 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 29 12:16:17 -0700 2009 1 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Dec 05 14:45:14 -0800 2008 Fri Dec 05 14:45:14 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Nov 01 16:26:39 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 01 16:34:09 -0800 2009 This was the first of Kate Klise's books that I read. I think it's a wonderful book. ]]> 3 0 false false Tue Oct 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 20 05:18:20 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 20 05:21:04 -0700 2009 1 4 0 false false Mon Jun 16 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Jan 31 17:27:16 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 31 17:29:01 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2002 Sun Nov 23 14:42:56 -0800 2008 Sun Nov 23 14:46:03 -0800 2008 4 0 false false Thu Nov 13 17:56:44 -0800 2008 Thu Nov 13 18:01:22 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Dec 23 08:07:23 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 23 08:08:14 -0800 2008 5 0 false false Wed Dec 17 18:43:47 -0800 2008 Wed Dec 17 18:44:28 -0800 2008 4 0 false false Thu Jan 08 17:39:59 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 08 17:40:36 -0800 2009 It's a story crafted in letters and memos and pictures.
A fantastic adventure-mystery for kids!]]> 4 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sat Jan 03 10:40:06 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 03 10:41:39 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Wed Apr 02 16:49:06 -0700 2008 Wed Apr 02 16:52:26 -0700 2008
This an...more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 13 13:12:56 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 13 13:14:15 -0700 2009 ]]> 5 0 false false Tue Aug 18 15:15:22 -0700 2009 Tue Aug 18 15:15:52 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Mon Mar 30 13:12:18 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 30 13:13:17 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Tue Dec 02 09:42:20 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 02 09:42:44 -0800 2008 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=23404